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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24778693">Everything Stays</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilacnightmares/pseuds/lilacnightmares'>lilacnightmares</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Mystic Messenger (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adoptive Sibling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Dynamics, Fluff, Found Family, Friendship, Gardens &amp; Gardening, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Ice Cream, Male-Female Friendship, platonic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 08:48:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,295</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24778693</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilacnightmares/pseuds/lilacnightmares</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ray has noticed that your responses in the chatroom have been a little lackluster as if you were having a hard time coping with being cooped up in your room for so long. Well, as your self-proclaimed adoptive big brother, he will do whatever he can to see you smile once again.</p><p>Work from Tumblr.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Choi Saeran &amp; Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>41</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Everything Stays</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>You: It’s okay. I just stayed up a little too late.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yoosung★: You should really try to get a nap in, then. I always try to do that</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yoosung★: After I play games too late, you know?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You: ...Yeah. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>You: You should go finish your homework, too, then, if you’ve been slacking. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yoosung★: Hey! I’m older than you, you know, you don’t have to baby me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You: I’ll do mine if you do yours.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yoosung★: I guess I can’t argue with that, Y/N.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You: I promise I’m okay, though.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yoosung★: Well, it’s really hectic… I haven’t been able to sleep much either.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yoosung★: Everyone’s a little worried about you wherever you are. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>You: Haha. It’s fine, Yoosung.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You: I need to go, but I’ll remember what you said.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Y/N has left the chatroom. </b>
</p><p>
  <span>Ray had noticed that you had been saying that a lot lately to them. You’re saying that you’re not sleeping or that you’ve just been working on homework. You sound like you’re trying to really convince yourself that that is all that it is, and it plagues him with worry. His mint eyes gaze over the monitor to review the chat log. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Has he done something that has upset you? Or has he not done enough for your sake and this is the result of such inaction? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was probably his fault, he knew. His fingers rested against the mouse as his eyes panned to the CCTV just outside of your room. Ray had brought you here because you were a kid that needed to be protected from the tyranny that was the outside world and your own family. He took it upon himself to become a model grown-up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It had been a chance find. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had been looking for testers when he noticed that you were a kid in trouble, and he knew that he could get you out of that place and into paradise. It didn’t seem like a bad thing. Your family was a lot like… his had been, and he wanted to give you a place where you could have a better and new family for yourself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He would prove to himself, and to the world, that he could do what that redhead could not do for him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And, that was staying when someone needed you and protecting them no matter what. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When you first came to Magenta, he was surprised to see how fast you took to him and to the place itself. He thought that you may be scared and wary, but you smiled at him and took his hand into your own. You were polite, well-behaved, and soft-spoken. You listened to every single word he said and hung on it all. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had never felt so wanted in his entire life. Ray couldn’t understand how anyone could have left him behind like trash if this was what it felt like to be a big brother to another person. He simply couldn’t understand. He loved listening to you talk about your interests and he had spent much time learning what he could so he could talk to you.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What surprised him was how quickly you turned the tides on him, learning what you could about what he loved and enjoyed. The smile on your face was genuine and wide when you learned a thing or a two that you didn’t know, and when you correctly remembered an answer to one of his questions, he would praise you. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Never before had someone seen him as anything special, but you… you were so different than anyone he had ever met in his life and bond with you was something that he wanted to cling to so very tightly. He would never let any harm come to you and he would ensure that paradise would be a place where you could prosper.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It had been a few weeks since you had come to Mint Eye, but in those few weeks, you had really changed his perspective on the world. He saw brightness where once all he saw was darkness, it came from your smile and your warmth. He never mentioned to you that he hoped that he could be a good brother for you, to help you find a better family—</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yet, you were the one that started playfully calling him brother. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That phrase didn’t trigger as much fear as he thought that it would when it had occurred to him initially. He had only ever said that word himself but hearing it spoken to him in this connotation felt right. It only further cemented the idea in his mind that he was going to do everything that he could do for you. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Right now, you needed someone to talk to instead of being in your room. He promised he would come by often, but his work had to be done. He rubbed his hands together and sent to work over the night to get a couple of hours to spend with you the next day. It would take him some time but for you, he would do anything. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>You found yourself awake the next morning, running through your routine, brushing your hair through, and pilfering through the closet to find an outfit from the ones that Ray had picked for you specially. Once you made your mind up on what you liked, you admired your reflection in the mirror for a moment, but let out a sigh. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>You were trying your best to see the bright side, but it was kind of hard to do that when you felt a little stuffy behind these walls. You could explore around if you wanted but Ray advised against that on the chance that some of the others were jealous of your status. You took his word for it, it wasn’t really a big deal. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>You didn’t really like human interaction, much. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Magenta was kind of weird… but, it was far better from home. You weren’t going to whine about that. This was a free room to sleep in, there were all kinds of food, and you had time to do anything you wanted without anyone judging you, and you could hang out with Ray and talk about this game he made. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was really cool, everything made it seem so real! </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ray really was amazing and…you didn’t feel that way about yourself. How come Ray even wanted to hang around with you anyway?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>These sorts of thoughts have been bothering you a lot lately. Alongside the unease that you felt about your family and what they must be thinking since you ran off for your own good. Well, it didn’t matter. You just steeled your resolve and tried to swallow down those thoughts and little concerns. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>You hoped that nobody noticed but by not logging on to the chatroom as often or when you did, your responses just… weren’t as enthused. Stress was a really hard thing to deal with but even here in Magenta, it still plagued you. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>You just hoped that this spell would pass soon so that you wouldn’t have to bother Ray. He had already done so much for you, and you didn’t want to make him work harder for anything. It was a surprise, however, when there was a slow knock on the door to your bedroom. You pursed your lips and went to check it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ray was standing there, he looked like he hadn’t slept, but that was really no different than how he usually looked. You would have frowned and scolded him, but you didn’t have it in you to do that to him. “Hi, I found some free time to come and hang out with you today. I know it must be really lonely for you… but, I worked really hard to come and hang out with you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ray, I hope you didn’t work all night…” you mumbled, a frown appearing on your face. “I don’t like it when you do that.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a knowing look in his eyes but he didn’t confirm anything that you said. He merely offered you his hand. “I promise I slept. No need to worry about me! Now, c’mon, I’m going to take you to the garden. There’s a spot that I haven’t shown you yet that I really want you to see today.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well, you couldn’t argue with that. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The garden was beautiful. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So, you found yourself sitting on a blanket underneath a shady tree with ice cream in hand as Ray explained to you the symbolism of a specific set of flowers that he had pointed out to you on your way in. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When you answered that you knew a bit about it and expressed that, he just couldn’t stop himself from smiling. Nobody had ever praised you for knowing anything before… not even fun facts that you had come across. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>You did wish that he really was your family, none of the people that you had been close to before meeting him had ever treated you with a single ounce of respect and yet, Ray gave it to you without question. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>You didn’t know how he knew your favorite flavor of ice cream, though, you had to give him credit for that. The gentle breeze tickled your face and for once, it felt like a weight had lifted itself off of your chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>You may have been feeling lonely but spending even a moment with Ray reminded you that you were not really alone. This place may have felt lonely but that didn’t mean that you were truly alone in this place. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ray was here, too! </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was always going to be here for you, that’s what he had said to you not long ago, after all. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, you wanted to show me the hydrangeas,” you poked at him. “I didn’t realize they came in so many colors.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ray nodded his head, “Anything is possible when you put your heart into cultivating. You know, they symbolize devotion and gratitude to your family, friends, or even your spouse. When I think of these… I think of you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A laugh escaped your lips. “Because, we’re like family, Ray?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ray smiled. “Yeah, sort of. I hope that you think of me in the same fashion. I… didn’t really have friends or anyone apart from my Savior until you came along, but I feel like things have gotten a lot easier since you came here. I don’t feel quite as… alone.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That made you feel good in contrast to those muddy feelings from earlier. He felt the same way about you, then. It almost brought tears to your eyes when you thought about how kind he had been to you from day one. How anyone could not think of him as an amazing person was beyond you! </span>
</p><p>
  <span>You were glad to call him family if he would allow it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve never had a family that cared for me, either,” you said, quietly. “That’s why I like hanging out with you, Ray. If I could ever have a brother, I would hope that it would be you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ray was quiet for a long moment as he took those words that you said in. You weren’t sure if you had overstepped any lines or something. You had playfully called him brother every now and again but he hadn’t said anything about it in a positive or negative way. You guessed it was okay because he never really brought it up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>You meant it, though. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>If you could have chosen any family, you would have picked Ray, every single time that the question was offered. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>You could tell that Ray was… thinking hard again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His expression almost worried you given how easily his mood could drop. Sitting aside the ice cream, you crawled across the picnic blanket to throw your arms around him in a tight hug. He stiffened in your grasp but eventually eased up when he realized that you were hugging him. It wasn’t something that he got often. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>You knew the feeling. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nobody had ever hugged you, either. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you mean that? Are you sure?” Ray’s voice was a ghost of a whisper, almost not even loud enough to be heard about the wind gusts. “Do you really think that… I’m worthy of being your brother?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Undaunted, you nodded your head. “Yes, I’m absolutely certain. I care about you, Ray, and I know you care about me too. So… we can be like a family now. A family doesn’t have to be the people you’re related to by blood. It can be the people that care about you, too. So, I’d love it if you’d let me call you that.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a silent sob in the back of his throat at that moment, and you didn’t know why that was, but you weren’t going to comment on it or make him uncomfortable. You guessed that his life with his family must have been… bad, too. He didn’t talk about it. But, you could tell that it seemed bad. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well, if you could help him the way that he helped you—</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You were more than happy to do that. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’d… I’d… I don’t know how to be a good brother, but I hope that… I hope that I can be worthy of that title for you if that is what you wish,” Ray finally said. His arms tightly around you now grew a bit snugger compared to his usual fearful touches. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Your smile grew. “You already are, at least, to me, brother.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ray isn’t sure that you’ll ever know how much those words meant to him at that point but he knew that the second that you counted on him, he was going to do everything in his power to ensure your happiness.</span>
</p>
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